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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · lash · bound · hand · board · ground · fork · mouse

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. board — a committee
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com